Thursday, June 26, 2008

Wow, what a dangerous place in which I live!

But somehow I'm still convinced that I'm safer here than in the United States...

I can hear my neighbors partying outside as I write this.

Anyway, we talked about this word "public viewing" in class today, and it's interesting to see that this guy used it, too. But maybe his English is just German-ized! I still say "public showing" or "public screening" is better, because "public viewing" smacks of going to see a dead body...

U.S. Embassy Warden Message: 6/25 UEFA Championship Semi-Final Match

June 24, 2008 Warden Message:On Wednesday evening, June 25, Germany and Turkey will meet in the semifinal round of the 2008 European Football Championship in Basel, Switzerland. Various cities in Germany have set up viewing areas for the public to watch the live broadcast of this game. The “Fan Mile” in front of the Brandenberg Gate in Berlin is expected to draw up to 500,000 German and Turkish fans, Frankfurt am Main will host a public viewing area at the Rossmarkt, and Munich is setting up a large public viewing area at the Olympic Stadium where 30,000 fans are anticipated. Similar events are planned in other cities and spontaneous celebrations or demonstrations related to the match may occur throughout Germany.

Because of the high fan interest in this prestigious semi-final elimination game between Germany and Turkey, there exists the possibility that disturbances, including violent disturbances may occur before, during or after the match, which begins at 20:45. At a minimum, post-game celebrations will likely result in traffic congestion in larger cities. Crowds celebrating previous German and/or Turkish victories have blocked streets and rocked vehicles attempting to pass through them.

We remind American citizens in Germany that even mass gatherings and demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. American citizens are therefore urged to avoid the areas of demonstrations if possible, and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any demonstrations. American citizens should stay current with media coverage of local events and be aware of their surroundings at all times.